The European Commission proposed a bloc-wide ban on social media use for children under 13 on September 17, 2026. The regulation would require platforms to verify user ages and obtain parental consent for teens aged 13 to 17, shifting legal responsibility for minor protection directly onto tech companies operating in the EU.
What the proposed regulation requires
Under the draft legislation, platforms must implement age verification systems that prevent children under 13 from creating accounts. For users aged 13 to 17, companies must secure verifiable parental consent before allowing access. The proposal does not specify which age verification technologies platforms must use, leaving implementation details open to interpretation.
The Commission framed the measure as a response to mounting evidence linking early social media use to mental health harms. A Commission spokesperson said the proposal "puts the burden where it belongs - on the platforms, not on parents trying to navigate systems designed to keep kids scrolling."
Enforcement and penalties
National regulators in each EU member state would oversee enforcement, with the authority to levy fines of up to 6% of a platform's global annual revenue for non-compliance. This matches the penalty structure already in place under the Digital Services Act.
The proposal now moves to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU for debate and amendments. If adopted, member states would have 18 months to transpose the rules into national law.
Industry response and precedent
The proposal follows similar moves in individual countries. France passed legislation in 2023 requiring parental consent for users under 15, and the UK's Online Safety Act includes age-verification provisions. Several US states have also enacted or proposed age-gating laws, though many face legal challenges on constitutional grounds.
Tech industry groups have previously argued that mandatory age verification creates privacy risks by requiring platforms to collect more personal data. The Commission's proposal acknowledges this tension but maintains that privacy-preserving verification methods exist and should be adopted.
Why this matters for PR and communications professionals
If the regulation passes, any brand or agency running influencer campaigns, creator partnerships, or social media activations targeting EU audiences will need to audit how platforms verify audience age. Campaigns aimed at younger demographics may face narrower reach, and communications teams should prepare messaging that addresses parental consent requirements transparently. Understanding the regulatory timeline also matters for crisis planning - brands caught running campaigns on non-compliant platforms risk association with enforcement actions, even if the brand itself is not the direct target.
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